“We Met Them Watching TV”: Toluwanisings’ Uncle Alleges Shock Visit, Burial Standoff

The paternal family of late gospel singer Olayemi Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings, has intensified its push for a full investigation into his sudden death and insisted that burial plans be put on hold, as fresh details emerge about a tense meeting with the widow in Ibadan.

Toluwanisings, whose Muslim name was given as Sodiq Olayemi Bayonle, died in the early hours of October 14, 2026, in Ibadan after collapsing. His personal assistant, Babadunni Gbolabo, earlier stated that the singer was rushed to as many as seven or eight hospitals, some of which declined admission amid a doctors’ strike or other excuses. The family has not publicly disclosed an official cause of death.

In a detailed account of the family’s visit to the singer’s residence, a paternal uncle who represented the family head said seven relatives travelled from Ikirun, Osun State, arriving around 9:30 a.m. They met the widow (Elizabeth), her mother, younger siblings, the singer’s personal assistant, and an aunt of the deceased.

The uncle said he was taken aback to find some of them watching television and eating. “When we got to Toluwasing’s house in Ibadan, we met his wife and mother-in-law… they were all watching TV,” he recalled in the account shared with the public. He questioned whether they fully grasped the gravity of the situation and asked the widow if her husband had truly died, saying he did not observe the expected signs of mourning.

He further alleged that the personal assistant initially resisted taking the family to the morgue to view the body. Only after other relatives suggested involving the police did the PA agree, according to the uncle.

The conversation turned to the widow’s relationship with her late husband’s father. The uncle claimed the singer’s father had previously asked her to check on him, but that Toluwani once took the phone and told his father, “Don’t destroy our home.” The widow denied the allegation when confronted, the uncle said.

On the critical issue of burial, the family pressed for interment at the house the singer built in Ibadan. The widow reportedly rejected the idea, saying she could not bear seeing her husband’s grave at the residence. When Ikirun was suggested as an alternative, she objected that it was too far and preferred a public cemetery—an option the family rejected. The uncle also raised questions about a house the singer allegedly gave his wife for her birthday; she became emotional during that discussion. Family members suspected the widow might intend to sell the property, though this remains an unproven allegation.

The uncle stressed that the family is not after the late singer’s property but wants “the right thing to be done.” He claimed Toluwani had promised his father ₦5 million to start a business, had secured a shop for him, and regularly sent at least ₦50,000 monthly, with the last sum being ₦80,000. The family had also been warned that burying him in a public cemetery could invite misfortune, though no further details were provided.

In the latest development, uncle Lawal Rauf (also referred to as Comrade Lawal Ademola Rauf) has formally demanded that the planned Wednesday burial be suspended pending a thorough probe into the circumstances of the death. The father’s family wants the eventual interment to take place at the Ibadan home where the widow and children currently live, and they say they are prepared to cover mortuary costs for as long as necessary. A memorial service and Night of Tribute is scheduled for today, Tuesday, October 27, at the Hall of Grace, Jogor Centre, Ibadan.

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Toluwanisings’ father, Muniru Adekunle Olayemi, had earlier appealed publicly for a home or family-compound burial rather than a church or cemetery, noting that the singer’s mother is buried in Ikirun. The singer, raised largely by his maternal relatives after his mother’s death when he was an infant, later embraced Christianity and built a following with energetic praise songs. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The dispute has drawn widespread attention, with the paternal family calling on government, religious leaders and the public to support a transparent investigation before any final rites proceed.